First Time Wedding Shoot
#20773
02/25/09 10:17 AM
02/25/09 10:17 AM
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Joined: Feb 2009
Portland, Oregon
Tyler
OP
Venturer
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OP
Venturer
Joined: Feb 2009
Portland, Oregon
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This is payback for me asking a friend of mine for the same thing when I got married So a family member is getting married on short notice in a small ceremony at the beach. I've been asked to the pictures. I'm a little nervous since this is kinda outta my realm and I'm not sure I have the best of gear for it (I don't even have a flash, only the built in one). I'm thinking I'll need to use my new 150mm 2.8 macro alot, but I do have an 18-200 and 18-55 vr at my disposal. Any quick tips you more experienced people might have? What kinda shots should I be looking for? Maybe even a filter recommendation?
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Re: First Time Wedding Shoot
[Re: Tyler]
#20775
02/25/09 10:40 AM
02/25/09 10:40 AM
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Joined: Mar 2005
Florida
Jim Garvie
Addict
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Addict
Joined: Mar 2005
Florida
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Tyler, I have a wedding coming up in a couple of weeks and I'm just putting my gear together too. My first suggestion is to log onto the Fred Miranda site and visit their wedding forum. There you'll see some samples of the types of shots that most couples expect as well as a wide variety of styles (traditional, journalistic, etc.). I'd also ask the couple what type of images they expect/want. That's the best place to start. For weddings, I use my 17-55 F2.8IS, my 70-200 F2.8IS, two camera bodies, a 580EX on-camera flash for the reception candids and I carry my studio strobes for formals of the wedding party along with a Vagabond II battery pack. While the zooms are my workhorse lenses, I also carry my 50 F1.4 and my 85 F1.8 just in case and for some nice available light selective-focus shots (rings, bouquets, candles, etc.). The artsy stuff! What time is the ceremony? Beach shots are great but you have to deal with lots of light as opposed to what most of us have to deal with which is not enough light. If it's late in the day, you'll have to deal with a setting sun and, while that provides lovely light, it also makes having on-camera flash pretty necessary. BTW, you can rent anything you need just for this shoot at places like Lens Depot, Lens Rentals dot com, etc. So you don't need to invest a lot to have the gear you need. As for the product(s) you deliver, again, check out the Miranda site for tips and links to suppliers of albums, prints, books, etc. And, lastly, good luck and have fun. Jim
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Re: First Time Wedding Shoot
[Re: Jim Garvie]
#20776
02/25/09 02:50 PM
02/25/09 02:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey
I
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I
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
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Hi Tyler,
Honestly, I agree with Jim about hiring a professional. It is only proper payback if you feel comfortable shooting the wedding and can do a job that you are proud of. Having said that, if this is a done deal, I agree that there are plenty of resources to look at.
First...check out the free forums. If you are looking for something slightly more advanced, you may want to check out our friends at the Digital Wedding Forum. The site offers 7 day free passes for you to take a look around and get some information. DWF is, in my opinion, the best resource out there for professional wedding photographers - bar none. I have been a member there for years, and know the owner well.
Second, the style of wedding photography you do will depend on the equipment you have and your comfort level. The lenses you have, assuming you have the proper light, will probably be adequate in a pinch. It is honestly hard to say since you have not really talked about what the wedding will look like exactly in terms of conditions. The general rule of thumb is that you want your glass to be as fast as you can afford. You might consider RENTING some lenses. Lens rental is quite cheap, and you may find that you want a 28-70 F2.8 and a couple of fast primes (depending on whatever type of camera system you own).
Outside of 'gear,' do you have any specific questions?
James
I'm a little nervous since this is kinda outta my realm and I'm not sure I have the best of gear for it (I don't even have a flash, only the built in one). I'm thinking I'll need to use my new 150mm 2.8 macro alot, but I do have an 18-200 and 18-55 vr at my disposal.
Any quick tips you more experienced people might have? What kinda shots should I be looking for? Maybe even a filter recommendation?
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Re: First Time Wedding Shoot
[Re: Tyler]
#20778
02/26/09 09:13 AM
02/26/09 09:13 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
James Morrissey
I
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I
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Feb 2005
Manhattan, New York, New York
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Hey Tyler,
I think you are right. The first thing you need is information. The wedding photographer, because of the very nature of the job, often winds up being the defacto 'wedding coordinator' for the event. We need to have everything arranged, from the time the bride puts on the dress until the time that we last dance is had.
Once you can begin to determine the conditions, I think we can definitely help out a bit more. As to the footing the lens/flash rental - I think that is a good idea. If you rent some very fast lenses, you may want to rent them a few days early and practice shooting in some diferent scenarios. The bokeh is very different, and you want to know essentially what you can get away with (and what you can not).
James
PS I know I said to go to DWF earlier, but I just want to emphasize that again. It is a phenomenal resource for wedding photographers, and they have a very good beginners forum.
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Re: First Time Wedding Shoot
[Re: James Morrissey]
#20779
02/26/09 06:10 PM
02/26/09 06:10 PM
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Joined: Jan 2008
North Carolina, triangle area
wallyspop
Old hand
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Old hand
Joined: Jan 2008
North Carolina, triangle area
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If you have time, find another wedding photog, volunteer to be a second shooter. Take notes and ask questions. Make special notes of all the key things you must capture. Don't forget the little things, table settings, invitations and flowers and the like. Think photo journalistic. You have to tell the entire story of the entire day!
I have done weddings, and avoid them for many reasons. They are a pain and you can become the bad guy real fast. One bad shot and you screwed up bad. Take multiple of shots of everything. A closed eye, someone looks away. Multiple shots and you can merge to save the day. Backup body is mandatory. Be prepared, it is a very emotional day, and not in a good way when you will be looked upon to basically coordinate the entire day. Bring lots of memory cards and swap regularly. Be prepared and have the tools to do a ton of editing. From my perspective Lightroom is mandatory.
Also, be prepared cause Murphy will be with you.
Can you tell I despise shooting weddings? lol
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Re: First Time Wedding Shoot
[Re: wallyspop]
#20780
02/26/09 06:18 PM
02/26/09 06:18 PM
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Joined: Nov 2008
Kansas
psmith
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Nov 2008
Kansas
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Quote:
If you have time, find another wedding photog, volunteer to be a second shooter. Take notes and ask questions. Make special notes of all the key things you must capture. Don't forget the little things, table settings, invitations and flowers and the like. Think photo journalistic. You have to tell the entire story of the entire day!
I have done weddings, and avoid them for many reasons. They are a pain and you can become the bad guy real fast. One bad shot and you screwed up bad. Take multiple of shots of everything. A closed eye, someone looks away. Multiple shots and you can merge to save the day. Backup body is mandatory. Be prepared, it is a very emotional day, and not in a good way when you will be looked upon to basically coordinate the entire day. Bring lots of memory cards and swap regularly. Be prepared and have the tools to do a ton of editing. From my perspective Lightroom is mandatory.
Also, be prepared cause Murphy will be with you.
Can you tell I despise shooting weddings? lol
+1 on everything Wally said, PLUS bring lots of batteries for your bodies and flashes.
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Re: First Time Wedding Shoot
[Re: Tyler]
#20782
02/27/09 09:49 AM
02/27/09 09:49 AM
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Joined: Jan 2006
MA
Joe
Tracker
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Tracker
Joined: Jan 2006
MA
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Tyler, If you have enough time before the wedding takes place I can recommend the following book - Digital Wedding Photography. I found myself in a similar situation last year but had a few months to get ready for it and I found this book very helpful. It covers just about every aspect of shooting a wedding from equipment, preparation, shot lists, workflow, etc., etc. Good Luck
Joe
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